Reviews: Ricci-Thode, Vanessa

Dragon Whisperer —
Vanessa Ricci-Thode

To
quote the biography at the end of the novel:

Vanessa
has always been a bookaholic, even as a young child—making picture
books before she learned to read and write. She has been writing for
most of her life, completing her first novel when she was eighteen,
handwriting it on a thick notepad on the floor of her bedroom. This
is Vanessa’s first foray into the world of publishing, and she’s
so excited that she hasn’t slept since her book was accepted.

The
Ovailens
and Joaseras have planned an
arranged marriage between their two scions, Reiser Ovailen and
Vyranna Joasara. This scheme may have seemed reasonable when the two
children were young, but ran aground when it became clear that
Vyranna was a spiteful bully. Reiser opts out and marries another
Joasara, Vyranna’s younger sister Dionelle.

Vyranna
is outraged. She may despise Reiser, but he was hers. She never liked
her sister anyway! She flounces out of their village and out of the
plot … temporarily. Dionelle and Reiser know that she will take
revenge when she can.

For
now, Dionelle and her new husband have some more immediate challenges.